Sports help young people with psychosis get back on track

23 January 2015
Sports help young people with psychosis get back on track

Weekly sport sessions are helping young Wellingtonians who access mental health support to connect with each other and reduce their risk of preventable illness.

Capital & Coast District Health Board’s Early Intervention Service works with young people who are experiencing symptoms of psychosis, such as hallucinations or thought disorders, for the first time.

Young people who experience psychosis face an increased risk for preventable lifestyle diseases like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

This can stem from multiple factors, including increased social isolation, loss of motivation and some medication side-effects, resulting in significant weight gain, service team leader Ray McEnhill says.

The service works closely with dietitians to provide advice around nutrition and medication use, but staff and clients also now meet weekly at the ASB Sports Centre in Kilbirnie for an hour of physical activity hosted by Sport Wellington coach Henry Iona.

“We started about a year ago with a small physical activity group and slowly picked up more of our clients as they heard about it. They play a mix of everything – basketball, touch rugby, even boxing,” says Ray.

The benefits of regular exercise are well-known, but young people who attend the sessions with Henry’s coaching are then more likely to engage in other activities like running or going to the gym with support from the service or their family, he says.

“That can mean there’s less chance of them going on to develop a condition like cardiovascular disease.”

It’s also an opportunity for young people to connect with peers who are facing the same challenges. Occupational therapist Amanda Gourlay says “it’s really noticeable when our clients start to connect with each other on the court”.

Simon is a client of the service who says the activity sessions have helped his recovery by motivating him to be more active.

“I feel fitter now, and it’s also a pretty good way to get to know other people.”

Another service client, Turano, is using the sessions to help him prepare to play with the Porirua Vikings in the local premier rugby grade next year.

Turano says the activity sessions also enable him to help other young people out with their wellbeing through sport.

“It’s really good to get people out of the house, because I know what it’s like when you’re just sitting at home and feel like you can’t do anything,” he says.

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